Tuesday, September 30, 2008

"A Sensible Plan for Recovery" from the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS)(also viewable at ThanksHank.org)

Program Summary:

Provide Stimulus for Main Street - Aid to the Real Economy

Make Wall Street Speculators Pay for the Bailout - No More Debt

Shut down the Casino: Reign in the Unregulated Financial Sector

Limit CEO pay and Prohibit Profiteering from the Bailout

The grassroots blowback against the Bush Administration's proposed Wall Street bailout is rooted in deep distrust. The following is a simple program that should be incorporated into the current bailout proposal to address the root causes of our problem and restore trust and confidence in our economic system. 1. A Stimulus For Main Street

A $200 billion Main Street Stimulus Package could bolster the real economy and those left vulnerable by the sub-prime mortgage meltdown. This package should include investment in renewable energy infrastructure, help to distressed homeowners, and federal aid to the States. See the terms of the $56.2 billion proposed Economic Recovery Package proposed by Senators Reid and Byrd.

2. Make Wall Street Speculators Pay for the Bailout

Congress must make the speculators pay for the mess they created. Progressive policy experts have crafted a plan for $900 billion in revenue. Read the Plan here: http://www.ips- dc.org/articles/740. This includes a Securities Transaction Tax ($100 Billion); a Corporate Minimum Income Tax ($60 Billion); a 'Disgorgement' recovery from profligate CEOs ($40 Billion).

3. Shut Down the Casino: Assert oversight of Financial Markets

Shutting down the casino would include re-regulation of the financial sector with new oversight authority and would extend oversight to hedge funds and other unregulated financial instruments.

4. Limits on Excessive CEO Pay and Prohibitions on Profiteering from Bailout

Limits on CEO pay removes one of the incentives that drove the short-term casino mentality in corporate America. Private firms involved in the bailout should be subject to strict controls and conflict-of-interest oversight to prevent profiteering at taxpayer's expense.

3. Engage the Media & Influence the Conversation: Write letters to the editor, call in to talk radio programs, send op-eds, and letters to the editor, add comments and links to blogs, online articles, and youtube videos.

For a laugh & to access this information online you can also visit ThanksHank.org

Morning Edition, September 26, 2008 · Just after the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, a small charity group flooded campaign battleground states with an inflammatory DVD on radical Islam. Critics say the charity is trying to influence the presidential race.

Earlier this month, subscribers to 70 newspapers in 14 states got a little something extra: A DVD that argues the same hard, militaristic line on terrorism that John McCain takes in his presidential campaign.

It's called Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West. The DVD was made in 2006, before this presidential contest began, and it doesn't even allude to electoral politics.

But, filled with dire warnings about Islamic terrorists, it hit doorsteps seven weeks before Election Day. And critics say it fuels the false whisper campaign that Barack Obama is secretly a Muslim.

Madaline Muir of Montgomery County, Pa., got the DVD in her Philadelphia Inquirer. She called it propaganda.

"It's to influence people. Sent out now. Whenever it was made, 2006, but it's really to influence people in the election and scare people," she said.

Obsession was produced by the Clarion Fund, a 501(c)(3) charity, which cannot get involved in campaign politics.

But its spokesman has said the newspaper distribution had one purpose: to make terrorism a presidential campaign issue where it counts - in the battleground states. He said Clarion did this with a half-million dollar grant from a secret donor.

And others have been promoting Obsession in other ways. Joe Wierzbicki, a political consultant, offered free copies of the DVD to listeners on a talk show in Detroit last month. He was promoting a free screening of Obsession on Sept. 11 in Dearborn, a city with a large Arab population.

Who paid for the screening? And who hired Wierzbicki to handle it? Wierzbicki wouldn't tell local reporters. On Thursday, he didn't respond to NPR's interview requests, and neither did the Clarion Fund.

It's illegal for a 501(c)(3) to advocate expressly for or against a candidate. None of Clarion's three directors have any record of contributing to the candidates. But some political connections do emerge.

Wierzbicki, the movie promoter, also works for two political organizations. He's an organizer for Move America Forward, a political action committee that just produced an ad accusing Obama of playing politics with soldiers' lives.

He also is the PAC coordinator for the Our Country Deserves Better PAC. Its Web site says it has one objective: to defeat Obama.

A multifaith coalition called Hate Hurts America has launched a Web site to counter allegations made in the DVD. And an Arab rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has asked the Federal Election Commission to investigate Clarion for possible violations of campaign finance law.

"Where is that money coming from? And what is the agenda of those behind this campaign? And who is behind this campaign ultimately?" Ibrahim Hooper, the council's spokesman, asked, regarding the DVD.

Those kinds of questions are often asked at the height of campaign season. But even if the election commission decides to investigate the Clarion Fund, the answers would likely be months away.

Will Evans and Shahien Nasiripour of the Center for Investigative Reporting contributed to this report.

Here, in this shattering new interview, Stephen Spoonamore goes into harrowing detail about the Bush regime's election fraud, past, present and--if we don't spread the word right now--to come. Since he's the only whistle-blower out there who knows the perps themselves, and how they operate, we have to send this new piece far and wide.

Here Spoon tells us that McBush's team--i.e., Karl Rove and his henchpersons-- have their plan in place to steal this next election: by 51.2% of the popular vote, and three electoral votes.

He also talks about the major role played by the Christianist far right in the electronic rigging of the vote.

And he defines our electronic voting system as a major threat to US national security, calling for it to be junked ASAP, in favor of hand-counted paper ballots.

Since Spoon is a Republican and erstwhile McCain supporter, as well as a noted specialist in nosing out computer fraud, his testimony is essential--not only for its expertise, but, no less, for the impact that his views will surely have on those Republicans who have been loath to see what Bush & Co. has done to our election system.

That whole story's just about to break. In fact, tomorrow there will be a number of articles appearing, on a recent breakthrough in the lawsuit that Spoon's testimony has enabled, and on other aspects of that all-important case.

MCM

9/26/08: New Spoonamore Interview - E-voting Machines are a National Security Threat

Last week, VR interviewed GOP Cyber security expert Stephen Spoonamore about the upcoming election and his testimony in the new Ohio litigation to take depositions of Karl Rove and others.

The video is posted in full below with ten short clips for You Tube viewing. This interview is so important and explosive that we urge everyone to watch it.

Spoonamore says that the GOP wanted e-voting to steal elections but now foreign governments will be hacking and the winner will be determined by the best hackers. He says that if the GOP wins the hacking competition, McCain will win 51.2 percent with three electoral votes over Obama, and it will be a stolen election.

Spoon also makes a crucial point about the people who have been implicated in much of the election theft: "They are religious extremists." He names those who know about stolen elections, and he insists that the only way to protect this election is with paper ballots, hand-counted.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

The Sundance hit "FLOW: For Love of Water" is taking the country by storm and waking people up to our water crisis.

Can anyone really own water? That was the questions that got French filmmaker Irena Salina inspired to take on a mammoth project -- chronicling the global water crisis and solutions -- from privatization to politics to pollution.

Her creation, the award-winning film "FLOW: For Love of Water," was a Sundance hit and now is making its theatrical debut in theaters across the country. Her film includes interviews with some of the world's leading activists, scientists and policy makers. But it also looks at how everyday people are affected around the world -- from the United States to South Africa to India and the growing network of grassroots activists that are coming together.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

"Zero" highlights how many times McCain mentioned the middle class in the first Presidential Debate and features footage from that debate where Obama gave his thoughts on the fundamentals of the economy and explained how John McCain's policies are just a continuation of the last eight years. On the air...

Hundreds of complaints, over fifty cancelled subscriptions to the North Carolina News and Observer, public editor criticizes own newspaper for accepting hatemongering video without first identifying who produced it.

'Obsession' was produced by The Clarion Fund. Three of the founders of The Clarion Fund, which is responsible for this movie, are leaders or employees in an extremist group called Aish Hatorah that has been identified on Rick Ross' Cult Watch website as a cult. For more information about it, who the group is and why it is accurate to call it a cult, go to www.progressiveislam.info and search for Aish Hatorah.

Ted Vaden, the public editor at the North Carolina News and Observer writes:Should The News & Observer allow itself to be used as a vehicle for disseminating offensive speech against a religious faith?

No, was the resounding response from readers who objected to a DVD that was distributed in The N&O last weekend. The video, titled "Obsession," portrays radical Islam as an organized global terrorism campaign aimed at Jews, Christians and America.

It depicts armies of jihadist warriors, suicide bombers in training and armed children chanting anti-Western slogans. Images of Islamist militants are juxtaposed with scenes of goose-stepping Nazi troopers. Graphic footage displays carnage from attacks in New York, London and Madrid.

"This is a film about a radical world view and the threat it poses to us all, Muslim and non-Muslim alike," a title says at the beginning of the video.

After the DVD was distributed Sept. 13, protests poured into News & Observer offices. We received at least 300 e-mail and phone messages, and about 50 people canceled subscriptions

"By taking responsibility for the delivery of this movie, an esteemed newspaper lent credence and stature to a movie which is, at best, hyperbolic, frightening propaganda. Surely, money cannot replace ethics," wrote reader MARY HARRISON.

"Gee, if I was still teaching, this video could be a classroom aid to show how some use hate and religious intolerance to scare people," wrote retired fourth-grade teacher MARY GILBERT of Raleigh. "However, I would not want to poison young minds by having them watch it."

The DVD was distributed by The N&O as an advertising product, inserted along with the advertising circulars into the paper. Jim McClure, vice president for display advertising, said he recognized that the DVD would be controversial and consulted with other executives before accepting it.

But he concluded that the paper should not deny advertisers the opportunity to reach the N&O audience because their message is unpopular or offensive to some. "The ultimate question is, at what point do you draw the line and start censoring things based on comfort level?" he said.

Many readers, citing The N&O's well-publicized revenue problems, accused the paper of selling out scruples for advertising dollars. McClure said the paper doesn't disclose what customers pay for ads, because they expect confidentiality for competitive reasons, but money was not a factor: "There was no consideration that this was so lucrative that we have to lower our standards and accept this. It was accepted on its merits." ....

I have a problem with this particular entry into the free-speech marketplace, because we don't know where the speech is coming from. The DVD package contained a name and address for the sponsor, The Clarion Fund of New York City. A Clarion Web site gives no information about its directors or its funding. It says the film was made possible by a large donor, but doesn't identify who.

Omid Safi, a professor of Islamic studies at UNC-CH, has researched the video and the Clarion Fund. He says the producer of the video is a Canadian native who now is a rabbi and Zionist leader in Israel. Distribution was aided by a Christian Zionist organization headed by Texas evangelist John Hagee, he said, and a Clarion Fund Web site recently published, then removed, an article that endorsed John McCain over Barack Obama for president.

Safi noted that the DVD was placed in newspapers only in key election swing states, suggesting it's intended to scare voters into the McCain camp. "The whole premise of this film is that the West doesn't know what radical Islam represents," Safi said. "Fair enough. Tell us what you represent." My calls to the Clarion Fund were not returned.

I think newspapers have an obligation to be as transparent as possible with readers about the information they provide. In this case, I think the DVD fell short in two respects.

First, it should have been labeled as paid advertising content, as the newspaper would require of a political advertisement. Despite the story on the front page, it's clear from their comments that some readers perceived the video as somehow endorsed by The N&O. McClure said it's the first time he could recall that The N&O has distributed a DVD.

More important is the lack of information about the source of this controversial content. Without that, the readers were not in a position to make an informed judgment about the message they received.

I found a CD, "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West," tucked into my Sept. 14 LSJ.

Its packaging boldly claimed, "As seen on CNN and FOX News by more than 20 million viewers worldwide."

I am distressed that the LSJ would distribute such inflammatory, fear-coddling material. I am disappointed that Lansing's newspaper has become an extension of CNN and FOX News. I am saddened that the LSJ is unable to distinguish journalism from jingoism.

As a nation and as a people, we are greater than this hate-mongering. We are capable of finding other more constructive ways to address extremism and inequity, nationally and globally. Showcasing war, demonizing "the enemy," and presenting the world in "us vs. them" terms, feeds continual hate, misery, and arms sales - not security.

The LSJ has been shrinking in size. It has now shrunk beyond any recognition as a responsible newspaper. Cancel my subscription.

Laura B. DeLind Mason ______________

Who's Behind DVDs?

I just received a DVD in that could potentially fuel anti-Muslim hate in the community.

This is a time when every well-meaning individual, regardless of religious or ethnic background, is trying to foster an atmosphere of unity and understanding amongst various diverse groups that make up America. This really prompts me to want to ask the following questions:

Why does the LSJ believe it is appropriate to profit from this kind of hate message? Who actually paid for these to be distributed and how much did it cost? Would you have distributed a similar hate DVD from a racist group, whether white, black, Hispanic, Asian, etc.?

Now, does sending out the DVD in key election swing states have to do with putting a candidate at an advantage? I trust I'd get a response to these questions.

Muideen Kareem East Lansing ______________

LSJ Wrong On DVD

The inclusion of the anti-Muslim DVD, "Obsession" in the Sept. 14 LSJ does a gross disservice to our community. While radicals may claim affiliation with any religious group, their true culture is one of intolerance and violence. By contrast, Islam is known as a religion that values peace and equilibrium above all else.

Look at Eric Robert Rudolph, identified with the group Christian Identity, who was responsible for the bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that killed two and injured 111.

How about Timothy McVeigh? Raised as a Catholic, he killed 168 and injured an additional 800 persons in a domestic terrorism attack on the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

Would the LSJ have distributed a DVD that offers these two as proof that Christian extremists are mounting a threat to America?

At the very least, it should have been incumbent upon the LSJ to seek to identify The Clarion Fund or its financial backers before accepting its 30 pieces of silver to sell out Lansing's Islamic Community.

Michael Forman East Lansing ______________

LSJ Delivers Fear

When I opened my Sunday paper on Sept. 14, I found the glossy insert, "Obsession." This gift was not a perfume sample. It was a DVD of a movie whose subtitle read "radical Islam's war against the west." It was produced by the Clarion Fund (http://clarionfund.org), a nonprofit organization "whose mission is to educate Americans about issues of national security." Perhaps.

But, the timing of this "gift," the pivotal role that Michigan will play in the November election and the film's shadowy funding suggest the hands of the well-financed, pro-war backers of John McCain - whether McCain himself approves or not. This is the politics of fear, pure and simple.

This is also the Gannett Company, the LSJ's parent, taking a back-handed partisan position in the election. I wonder if they would circulate a free movie that questioned the global war on terror, even if they were paid.

Subscribers and voters, back to you.

Jack Smith Williamston

______________

From the Des Moines Register

Who's really behind this propaganda?

The DVD enclosed in Sunday's Register contains 60 minutes of propaganda aimed at convincing the viewer that "radical Islam" threatens everyone in our country and that very nearly everyone in Muslim countries grows up learning the beliefs of "radical Islam."

Though several people are named as responsible for making, manufacturing and mailing the DVD, in spite of a strenuous search on the Internet, I learned almost nothing about the executive producer (Peter Mier), the director (Wayne Kopping) and the Clarion Fund Inc., the nonprofit that apparently sponsored the DVD and seems to exist only as a street address in New York and as a 501c(3) with no disclosed source of funding.

What did the Register ask to know about the Clarion Fund Inc. before agreeing to insert the DVD?

-Mark Kane, Des Moines ___________________________

DVD sought to sow fear in the electorate

I am incredibly disappointed in the Register for serving as the delivery agent for "jihad Swift Boating" by including the DVD "Obsession" in the Sept. 14 edition. I watched it in its entirety.

This DVD connects modern Jihadi to Nazi Germany ideologues. It attempts to scare us into a paranoiac approach to our place in the world.

While I do not deny that terrorism is a real threat, and feel strongly that we must all prepare to deal with it, this is a blatant attempt to frighten us into our own brand of Western militancy. The last eight years of the Bush doctrine have taught us the consequences of stirring the hornets' nest of militant Islam in the Middle East. Saber rattling, "shock and awe" and cowboy diplomacy have only fueled hatred of the United States in the Islamic world and threatened our long-term security here at home.

The fact that this DVD, which was produced in 2006, should be released with less than two months before our national election and that it should be targeted for newspapers in swing states is a thinly veiled ploy to frighten the electorate into voting for the perceived "party most likely to protect us."

I shouldn't be surprised that the Republicans are willing to stoop to frightening footage to secure votes. I had not thought the Register would serve as the delivery boy for Jihad hysteria.

- James L. Fritz, Decorah ___________________________

Newspaper insert was vicious propaganda

When I opened the Register this past Sunday to find a hateful insult to Islam, a decent and humane religion, inserted in the paper under the guise of advertising, I felt angry, hurt, violated and disgusted. I am ashamed of the Register, which claims to be "The Newspaper Iowa Depends Upon." Upon which groups will you next release such viciousness?

I had a long chat with your advertising manager and have been advised that the decision to allow this material into the paper was collective, that it took place at many levels of your corporation and that it was a difficult decision. Respectfully, I have to say that I disagree that the decision was so difficult. The ethical line you crossed was as bright as the sun and as wide as day.

I have read the Register for 17 years and have never seen in any publication, short of the neo-Nazi papers that used to get shoved in our mailbox in Pennsylvania during the '60s, such disregard for the difference between propaganda and information. Your paper is responsible for the latter: Let the slimy characters who vend this other stuff pay for their own paper. Don't sully your reputation, my home and the idea of responsible free speech in a democracy.

- David Devonis, Davis City ___________________________

From Denver Post readers

"It was a shock to receive that in my newspaper," said Priscilla Linsley of Denver. "It is wrong to distribute hateful information on Islam." Sherryl Weston of Westcloud Consulting teaches multiculturalism at Colorado universities. She said the DVD baits people to be anti-Muslim. "The newspaper is not the place for it," Weston said. "It's not news. It's not an ad. It's propaganda."

"How do newspapers justify the right to profit from anti-Muslim hate speech?" asked Imam Ibrahim Kazerooni of the Islamic Center of Al-Beit in Lakewood. "Would newspapers have done the same if the materials had been anti-Semitic?"

If you received your DVD by US mail, here's what you can do to take money out of the pockets of The Clarion Fund and redistribute their wealth to the US Postal Service.

Step 1: Take the DVD out of the mailer. Step 2: Render it inoperable. Use your imagination. You can scratch it, melt holes in it, snap it, whatever. Step 3: Put the DVD back in the mailer. Step 4: Drop it in a mailbox. Step 5: When it turns up in your mailbox again, drop it in the mail again. Repeat this step.

Why would we do this? The Clarion Fund has to pay postage over and over again on the same DVD.

Does it work? Yes! I received my DVD on Tuesday, trashed it, and dropped it in a mailbox on Wednesday. Lo and behold, it was in my mailbox again today. Yes, I know it's the same one because I taped the mailer shut with packing tape. I'll be dropping it in the mailbox again tomorrow morning. Enjoy!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Dodd, Frank: Agreement in principle, expect passage of bill within days

Warned that time was running short to bolster the distressed economy, congressional Republicans and Democrats reported agreement in principle Thursday on a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry, and said they would present it to the Bush administration in hopes of a vote within days. Emerging from a two-hour negotiating session, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said, "We are very confident that we can act expeditiously."

MoveOn Ad Blames McCain's "Friends" For Economic CrisisIn a sign that this campaign is certainly not being put on hold as John McCain would like, MoveOn has this funny new one-minute ad on national cable, casting the blame for the market crisis squarely on John McCain and those folks he'd call "my friends" for the economic crisis -- folks like Phil Gramm, Rick Davis and George W. Bush:

McCain suspends his campaign, and asks to postpone Friday's debate, to address the financial crisis.

Both candidates have been marginal players; McCain, though, seems to have the potential to make himself a major one, and his move is a mark, most of all, that he doesn't like the way this campaign is going.

But in terms of the timing of this move: The only thing that's changed in the last 48 hours is the public polling."

If McCain can't do two things at once, I don't see how that's Obama's problem. This is as cynical a political move as it gets. Obama's too polite to say HELL NO. So it's wait and see.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

John McCain campaign manager Rick Davis--under the spotlight because of his work for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac--is skipping a Wednesday lunch with reporters sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.

On Tuesday, word came that McCain political director Mike DuHaime will substitute for Davis because he is "heading out on the trail" today.

Davis is the subject of stories in the New York Times and Newsweek about his work for the failed mortgage market makers. At issue right now: did Davis contradict McCain's statement that he has not been involved with Fannie and Freddie for some time.SOURCE

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

I went on Fox News on Monday to discuss the financial meltdown. After taking a sober look at the bipartisan nature of Wall Street deregulation, I forced the discussion to focus on John McCain's Keating Five past. It was actually a pretty incredible debate. You can watch it here:

Both the Fox News anchor and the GOP spokesman basically freaked out in a desperate attempt to hide the undebatable fact that McCain was rebuked by the Senate Ethics Committee for intimidating regulators on behalf of one of his biggest campaign donors, Charles Keating.

"In his early days as a freshman senator, McCain was known for accepting contributions from Charles Keating Jr., flying to the banker's home in the Bahamas on company planes and taking up Keating's cause with U.S. financial regulators as they investigated him...Keating and his associates raised $1.3 million combined for the campaigns and political causes of all five. McCain's campaigns received $112,000. The investigation ended in early 1991 with a rebuke that McCain 'exercised poor judgment in intervening with the regulators.'"

Conservative columnist George Will turned heads this weekend for savaging John McCain over his "un-presidential" reaction to the economic crisis. "McCain showed his personality this week," Will said, "and made some of us fearful."

Now Will has expanded on his comments in Tuesday's Washington Post with an op-ed titled, "McCain Loses His Head."

Monday, September 22, 2008

Thank you for your interest in the paid canvassing position with the Florida Democratic Party. Below is a description of the position, compensation information, and dates and times for shifts. After reviewing the below information, send your contact information (name, phone number, mailing address, and email address) to mbailey@campaignfla.com. Please direct all future correspondences to that email. Thank you for your time. I look forward to working with you in the Future!

Position Description: Canvassers will be part of a dynamic team that engages people in their neighborhoods, makes phone calls and attends community events. Team members will discuss the important issues facing our community, inform people about the election and ballot initiatives, register and encourage people to vote and encourage them to join our organization. Canvassers will have the opportunity to take on leadership positions during the campaign.

Position Duties:• Participate in neighborhood canvasses, educating the public, registering voters and expanding organization's membership.• Participate in staff meetings and trainings• Assist in training and coordination of volunteers• Other duties as assigned by the campaign director

What to expect:• A fun, challenging and diverse work environment• Learning and teaching about the various political issues of this campaign• Working in some of Florida's most diverse and underrepresented neighborhoods• Being at the heart of the progressive change occurring in Florida and the nation as whole• Working with volunteers from around the country as the election approaches

We are looking for canvassers to help us get Democrats elected

+ No Fundraising+ Competitive Salary+ Start Working Immediately

Requirements:• Excellent interpersonal skills• Must be comfortable talking about politics on a personal level• Commitment to Florida's Democratic politics

In a controversial move sure to upset millions of people, Barack Obama's campaign has decided to forgo the traditional time-wasting distribution of chum (yard signs, bumper stickers, etc.) to try and win the election.

Correction to Voter Registration Verification Law ("No Match, No Vote")

Many news reports have referenced Florida's Voter Registration Verification Law – the so-called "No match, No vote" law. Contrary to what is being widely reported, this law does NOT require that the address on the driver's license (or other ID) that a voter presents at the polls match the voter's address in the precinct register. The "No match, no vote" name represents a reading of the law that is incorrect and this nickname should not be used further. Additionally, the Florida Secretary of State issued a media advisory to definitively contradict such information:

I.D. Required and Checked at the Polls is Used Solely to Confirm the Voter's Identity, Not to Verify the Voter's ID Number or Address. "The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record." [FL Department of State]

We should have respect for McCain's service, capture and suffering during the Vietnam War and much of what he has done since. But this unsettling article raises the question of his commitment to those left behind. It addresses, too, the unwillingness of the press to investigate McCain's treatment of POW/MIA families and his dismissal of their concerns as the "bizarre rantings of MIA hobbyists." He even brought one grieving woman to tears because she was, by searching for her brother, "denigrating" McCain's "patriotism."

After reading Schanberg's article, it's difficult to believe that McCain had such an epiphany, as it was his own reputation that he seemed most concerned about when reacting to the efforts of those trying to learn what happened to the people they love -- left behind in Vietnam.

Schanberg has unearthed a lie of major proportions if indeed McCain did not do all he could do to locate those still missing after his return from Vietnam. Whether he did or not, we need to know. It does not mean he did not serve his country honorably in the Navy. It does mean he may have done less than he could have done when he returned. It may mean that he was abusive to people who deserved better.

Friday, September 19, 2008

From top to bottom, the McCain campaign is dominated by lobbyists. At least 177 Washington lobbyists have been on his campaign staff or helped him raise money.

McCain's chief foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, made millions lobbying for foreign countries like Georgia. McCain has taken the most confrontational position towards Russia since the conflict with Georgia began. That's not putting your country first.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

"Plan for Change" is a two-minute advertisement in which Senator Obama will speak directly to the nation on his view of the state of the economy and what he would do to fix it if he is elected president

Position Description: Canvassers will be part of a dynamic team that engages people in their neighborhoods, makes phone calls and attends community events. Team members will discuss the important issues facing our community, inform people about the election and ballot initiatives, register and encourage people to vote and encourage them to join our organization. Canvassers will have the opportunity to take on leadership positions during the campaign.

Position Duties: • Participate in neighborhood canvasses and phone banks, educating the public, registering voters and expanding organization's membership.• Participate in staff meetings and trainings• Assist in training and coordination of volunteers• Other duties as assigned by the campaign director

What to expect:• A fun, challenging and diverse work environment• Learning and teaching about the various political issues of this campaign• Working in some of Florida's most diverse and underrepresented neighborhoods• Being at the heart of the progressive change occurring in Florida and the nation as whole• Working with volunteers from around the country as the election approachesWe are looking for canvassers to help us get Democrats elected + No Fundraising+ Competitive Salary+ Start Working Immediately

The hackers gained entry to Mrs Palin's Yahoo! email account, which she used for official business as Alaska's governor.

They have disclosed as evidence some personal messages she received since being selected by John McCain as the Republican vice-presidential candidate.

Members of Anonymous, an online group known for its attacks against the Church of Scientology, claimed responsibility for the hack, and posted copies of two emails, a contact list and family photos to Wikileaks, a website that hosts leaked documents.

The McCain campaign reacted angrily to the hacking, saying in a statement: "This is a shocking invasion of the governor's privacy and a violation of law.

"The matter has been turned over to the appropriate authorities and we hope that anyone in possession of these e-mails will destroy them."

The disclosure has raised fresh questions about Mrs Palin's use of nongovernment email accounts to conduct state business.

Jeff Atwater admitted that his vote to raise homeowner's insurance rates would in fact hurt Florida's families. Regarding his vote to raise homeowner's insurance rates, Atwater conceded, "The dream of the young Florida family wishing to buy a house is rapidly disappearing." St. Petersburg Times, December 11, 2006 (link)

Jeff Atwater Claims:

That he's siding with Florida's families against the Big Insurance Companies.

THE TRUTH...

Jeff Atwater voted to make it easier for Big Insurance Companies to deny claims by Florida families whose homes are damaged during a hurricane. SB 1486, (03/18/2005; 05/06/2005) (link, link and link)

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

John McCain not only invented the blackberry, he tossed in wifi as an afterthought.

Let's go back and see how McCain's hand guided that development.

With the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Senate passed the first major revision to telecommunications law in 62 years which provided the foundation for much of the cell phone and Internet regulation over the next decade. The bill passed 81-18 and was signed into law by President Clinton. McCain voted against the act.

In 2002, McCain authored the "Consumer Broadband Deregulation Act of 2002" which eliminated the requirement of the 1996 law that telecommunication companies provide access to competitors. It didn't pass.

In 2003, the Internet Tax Freedom Act was passed, putting in place a moratorium on taxes for activities on the Intenet. The bill had 11 cosponsors – McCain wasn't one of them. He did vote for the bill, but since it passed 97-3, that's definitely "guiding" with a small 'g.' Granted, this wasn't directly a bill about wireless, but since McCain doesn't seem to have authored any law on wireless technology, I'm having to search for connections.

Of pending legistlation, McCain is not a sponsor of the "Connect the Nation Act" – though Senator Obama is. McCain is not a sponsor of Senator Rockefeller's call for a universal next generation broadband by 2015 – though Senator Obama is. And of course, McCain isn't a sponsor of the "Internet Freedom Act" that would ensure net neutrality – though Senator Obama is. That last is no surprise. McCain has repeatedly opposed net neutrality, saying that companies have a right to restrict speed or even limit access to sites "when you control the pipe you should be able to get profit from your investment."

So, McCain's "guiding hand" seems to consist of opposing the legislation that laid the groundwork for the communications we have today, and authoring failed legislation designed to benefit big carriers. Of course, we should probably be glad that John McCain really didn't invent the cell phone or wifi, otherwise we'd all be getting our wireless services from one monolithic company free to restrict our access to only the pages that pay for the privilege. And we'd all be using "Jitterbugs."

For anyone not aware of the Keating Five, here's a very simple summary:

Charles Keating owned a savings and loan in California. He was illegally using the money of his bank's customers to give loans to himself and friends that they didn't have to repay, and to speculate on risky real estate investments, which was strictly forbidden by U.S. law (the latter was one cause of the Great Depression).

When the feds found out what was going on and launched an investigation into Keating and his company, Keating called five U.S. Senators whom he had wined, dined, and lavished with hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations and personal gifts for years.

Keating asked the five Senators to tell the feds to bug off, and the five Senators, later known as the Keating Five, obliged, meeting with federal investigators twice and pressuring them to stop investigating Keating's crimes. They bought Keating some time, but the feds didn't give up and eventually Keating was nailed. The reason the feds were so persistent was because Keating wasn't playing with mere chump change. Keating blew $3.4 billion through illegal personal loans and bad investments, and the FDIC eventually had to reimburse Keating's customers who had been ripped off. (The FDIC is a part of the federal government funded by taxpayers dollars, so when Keating stole from his customers you and I were the ones who paid for it.)

(Background Info - Keating wasn't the only Savings and Loan owner who was committing fraud, 20% of the S&L's that failed during that three year period were found to have been caused by fraud and/or insider trading. The failure of the Lincoln Savings and Loan and other S&L's pushed the country into a recession, costing the U.S. government $126 billion dollars in FDIC insurance payouts to investors. All of this came to a crescendo during the first year of the presidency of George H.W. Bush, who pushed through the S&L bailout plan to keep the economy afloat.)

When the involvement of the Keating Five was made public, a scandal erupted and the Senate Ethics Committee launched their own four month long hearing into whether the Keating Five senators had violated Senate ethics rules. It was a giant mess (see the Keating Five Videos section). The other four Senators left office either immediately or within one term. John McCain was formally rebuked by the Senate Ethics Committee for exercising "poor judgment" for intervening with the federal regulators on behalf of Keating, but because McCain accepted Keating's gifts of travel and vacations to Bahama while McCain was a member of the House of Representatives (he served one term there before moving to the Senate), the Senate claimed they had no jurisdiction to censure McCain. (However the meetings to pressure federal regulators occurred during the first few months of McCain serving in the Senate in 1987, so that excuse doesn't hold up)

John McCain then went back to the drawing board and re-invented himself as "the Straight-Talk Express" and the media gobbled it up. "Tax-Evading-Criminal" doesn't sound as catchy as "Straight-Shooting-War-Hero".

Ever since the scandal, when McCain lies today, it's never questioned, because he's a "straight talker". The man has more skeletons in his closet than any politician in history. The Keating Five is just one bone.

There are two fantastic articles about the Keating Five we highly recommend reading.

One is from 1989, written by the Phoenix New Times, called McCain: The Most Reprehensible of the Keating Five. That article does a good job of capturing the anger at the time at John McCain and the other corrupt Senators. It took an incredible spin job for McCain to have survived the scandal.

Obama Nails the Winning Message: "Honor Comes with Honesty." This will win this election. Repeat it over and over.

Finally, the Obama campaign has articulated the winning message to counterpunch the shameless lying from McCain-Palin. They have raised the issue of McCain's (lack of) honor.

Following Senator Claire McCaskill's catchy "Honor comes with honesty" rhetoric on ABC's This Week, Obama has released an excellent new ad titled "Honor" that explicitly quotes The Washington Post on McCain's "disgraceful and dishonorable campaign."

Monday, September 15, 2008

John McCain may be trying to sell himself as a "maverick" and a "straight talker" who will tell the truth no matter the consequences, but independent, non-partisan watchdog groups aren't buying it. But, since he wrapped up his party's nomination, John McCain has offered more of the same false attacks and smears. To date, independent, nonpartisan fact checkers have published more than 50 fact checks debunking John McCain's lies and distortions.

To hold John McCain accountable to his own standard, the Democratic National Committee will count and chronicle the lies here on the McCainPedia's "Count the Lies" page.

Recently, my father gave me an envelope full of press clippings which chronicle the history of a very notable part of our family. Most of the articles come from the Florida Times-Union, a Jacksonville-based paper he read during the '60s and '70s when he taught at Lake City Community College. They detail the years in which my cousin, then-Lt. Cmdr. John S. McCain, was imprisoned in North Vietnam.

John and I are related through our grandmothers. Katherine Vaulx McCain and Huetta Vaulx Boles, both of Fayetteville, Ark., were sisters. My side of the Vaulx family represents a long line of Democrats, but it is with no small amount of pride that we've followed the life and career of now-Sen. John McCain.

My dad knew John when he was a child, and maintained a close relationship with his father, Adm. Jack McCain. When my dad was a teenager, the McCains visited his family in Arkansas around the time my great-uncle, John's grandfather, was commanding an aircraft carrier group in the Pacific during World War II.

He and Jack remained close over the years, exchanging many letters while my dad was in Lake City and Jack was commanding the fleet in the Pacific during Vietnam. When John was taken prisoner, the letters my dad sent took on a tone of deep concern and sympathy.

My father is, above anything else, dedicated to his family. Although he had never met John's then-wife, Carol, he knew that she lived an hour away, just outside of Jacksonville. He did everything he could to make sure she was taken care of during that time.

Although neither my father nor I have ever voted for a Republican, when John threw his hat in the ring in 2000, we were both very proud and encouraged, and not just because he's our relative. This was the first Republican who, on a national stage, was saying things like, "If we repeal Roe vs. Wade tomorrow, thousands of young American women will be performing illegal and dangerous operations," and, "Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer-reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance." Wow!

Here was a man who was not abiding by partisan lines, who was, instead, living up to his promise of "straight talk" and commonsense thinking. The right-wing Republican base may not have agreed with everything he said, but the rest of America certainly respected him for speaking his mind honestly.

Jump ahead to the campaign Sen. McCain is currently running. Clearly, a lot can change in eight years. Our nation has gone from a time of unparalleled prosperity and peace to one marked by debt in the trillions of dollars, record foreclosures, and a global reputation for warmongering and neo-imperialism.

So, where is the straight-talking, commonsense John McCain of 2000? I'm afraid he is long gone, replaced by a desperate version of himself who seems to contradict nearly everything he once stood for.

What becomes apparent in his ideological about-face is just how out of touch McCain really is with America's working families.

In a time when the country is facing the worst housing crisis in the memory of most Americans, McCain couldn't even recall how many homes he owns. When asked how many homes my side of the family owns, I can answer you pretty quickly. Zero.

Just like so many working families in this country, we were nearly ruined by the ongoing mortgage and foreclosure crisis. Our family home of three generations was sold at auction last year. The story is a familiar one: We were suckered into a refinance deal during the real estate boom, and when times got tough, the near criminally deregulated mortgage companies changed the rules on us.

What was John McCain's response to this? He lumped together all the families who fell victim to the smarmy sales pitches from subprime lenders, calling us "irresponsible," a move the New York Times described as "mean-spirited and economically naive."

What contortions has this new John McCain twisted himself into in order to win this election? When asked last year about his stance on abortion, he told a group of supporters, "I do not support Roe vs. Wade. It should be overturned." This statement not only sharply contrasts with what he said back in the 2000 election cycle, but is also at odds with a majority of American public opinion, according to the most recent Harris poll on the subject.

Further, McCain's decision to put the antichoice, creationist Sarah Palin on his ticket appears to be motivated completely by a political desire to shore up the radical right evangelical base with whom he's been at odds for so long. This is the same woman who claimed in June "that our national leaders are sending (our soldiers) out on a task that is from God."

A part of me is made very sad to write this article. As I've said, my family has followed John's life and career with no absence of pride. If there ever were a Republican we might consider voting for, it would have been my cousin John.

But, as he continually demonstrates in this campaign, my cousin John is long gone. "Straight talk" has been replaced with "flip-flop." Saddest all, this is the same man who, when campaigning in 2000, told a crowd of supporters, "I don't think Bill Gates needs a tax cut. I think your parents do."

My parents, John, need some help after the economic destruction Bush has wrought in the last eight years, but it's clear you're not the one who'll give it to us. America's working families no longer recognize you, nor does your own.